Invalid bed



F. B. BUMGARDNER I NVALID BED Filed April 15 1922 2 Sheets-Shet 1 May 1, 1923. 1,453,970

F. B. BUMGARDNER INVALID BED Filed April 15 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May l, 1923.

FRANK B. BUEIEGARDNER, 033 FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS.

INVALID BED.

Application filed April 15, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. BUM- GARDNER, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding in Fort Smith, in the county of Se This invention relates to beds known as invalid beds or hospital beds, in which an adjustable head rest is employed which maybe set at any desired angle to support the patient or occupant of the bed when his body is raised from a horizontal to an inclined position, and the object of the invention is to construct a head rest of this kind in a simple way and in such manner that itmay be raised and lowered by the nurse, the doctor, or by the patient with the greatest ease without discomfort to the patient or any disarrangement of the bed clothes.

In carrying out my invention I provide a head rest which may be readily applied to hospital beds of various kinds or in fact to beds of various descriptions without any change therein. The frame of the head rest is pivotally connected to the side rails of the bed in such manner that it may be raised from a substantially horizontal position to aninclined position of any desired angle. In order to thus raise and lower the head rest I employ a rock shaft operated by a handle and having secured to its opposite ends ratchets having arms connected by links to the frame of the head rest. By turning the rock shaft, the head rest may be raised and lowered as desired. In order to hold the head rest in the inclined position to which it is raised, I employ pawls which automatically engage the ratchets and prevent the head rest from dropping when once raised to the desired extent. When it is desired to lower the head rest, the pawls are released from the ratchets by the mech anism operated by a handle within easy reach of the patient or occupant of the bed or by others.

My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hospital bed with myimprovements applied.

Figure 2 shows a transverse section,

Figure 3 is a perspective view showin one of the brackets or hangers employed for supporting the rock shaft, one of the Serial No. 552,829.

ratchet-s with its arms, and one of the pawls associated with the ratchet.

Figure is a detail view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the head rest raised.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the head rest lowered.

The bed or bedstead shown comprises a head frame A and a foot frame B connected by side rails C to which the end rails D are secured. Any other suitable construction of bedstead may, however, be employed. My invention is applicable to bedsteads of various kinds, but especially to standard or usual forms of hospital beds. The construction does not contemplate any change in the bed proper.

The springs E are of well known construction and are connected at the head and foot of the bed to cross-pieces F in the usual way.

The head rest G preferably as shown, comprises a frame consisting of parallel end pieces 9 and a cross-piece 9 between which are arranged springs g of well known form. The end pieces 9 are preferably made of angle iron, being cut away at their inner ends as indicated to form lugs which are pivotally connected at a with the side rails of the bed at a suitable distance from the head frame A so that the head rest may In order to raise and lower the head rest,

I employ mechanism of novel construction by means of which it may be moved with the greatest facility and with minimum power. To each side piece 9 is pivotally connected at it the inner end of a link H, the outer end of which is pivotally connected at 72. to the arm Z of a ratchet member L. These ratchet members are attached to the opposite ends of the rock shaft M supported in brackets or hangers N attached to the side rail of the bed The rock shaft is provided at one end with a handle 0 by means of which it may be turned to the desired extent to raise and lower the head rest. It will be observed by reference to Figure 5 that, when the head rest is depressed, the rods H are set at an angle to the head rest and when the rock shaft is ,turned in the proper direction. the head rest is lifted while the arms Z of the ratchets llO are being raised from the position shown in Figure 5 to that shown in Figure i. The handle U is connected with the rock shaft by a hinged joint 0 (Figs. 1 and 2) so that it may be allowed to hang downward in a vertical position as indicated close to the bedstead or may be moved outwards away from the bedstead when desired for more convenient operation, especially by the occupant of the bed. When lowered to the position shown in Figure 1, it is out of the way and forms no obstruction at any time.

In order to holdthe head rest in position when raised, I employ pawls P, each of which is pivotally connected at p with a side piece C and which has a tooth that engages the ratchet L. It will be observed that the tooth of each pawl is close to its pivot while" the tail of the pawl is comparatively long and is curved and extends downward a-con siderable distance below the side rail, its lower end being attached to a rod 1, which rod extends horizontally beneath the bed and connects the two pawls P on opposite sides thereof. The rod T extends through a slot 25 formed in each of the pawl operating levers Q. Each of said levers Q is pivoted to a side rail at Q and is joined at r to an operating lever R pivoted to a. side rail C at 1".

While I may employ only one set of pawl operating devices 1 preferably use two sets in order that the mechanism may be operated from either side of the bed. I may also equip the rock shaft with one operating lever O or with two operating levers so that the rock shaft may be operated from either side of th bed when desired. Each pawl P is formed with a lug s which is so located as to limit the upward movement of the head rest to prevent it from being moved to too great an extent. When the head rest is raised to the limit of its upward movement, the arms Z come in contact with the lugs s and thus the head rest is prevented from further movement.

The hangers N may be readily attached to th side rails of the bed, and these hangers it will be observed support all of the elevating and lowering mechanism, as well as the pawls P. The pawl operating devices can be pivotally connected with the side rails in a very simple manner as indicated.

When the head rest is lowered as shown in Figure 5, it lies substantially horizontally, giving a substantially horizontal support for the occupant with a very slight inclination at the head, the springs on the head rest lying close to the springs beneath them. When the head rest is raised to an inclined position. the lower row it of springs on the head rest lie close to the springs of the bed and there. is no danger of the bed clothes becoming entangled with th springs.

In order to prevent the bed springs E from separating from the springs of the head rest when there is weight upon the bed, I employ rings U which connect the lower row of springs of the head rest with the springs E of the bed.

Normally the mechanism is in the condition shown in Figur 5. When the handle 0 is operated, the rock shaft is turned and the arms Z of the ratchets are lifted. This causes the links H to push the head rest to an inclined position. During this operation the pawls ride over the teeth of the ratchets and do not impede their movement. When the head rest is raised to the desired extent and the handle 0 is released, the pawls engage the ratchets and prevent the head rest from descending and thereafter th mechanism remains in the condition shown in Figure 4. When it is desired to lower the head rest it may be done by the occupant of the bed or by others by merely operating one of the handles R. It will be observed by reference to Figure 4 that when the head rest is raised, the adjacent ends of the lever Q and the handle R are substantially parallel, and this is always the case when the head rest is raised to any extent. When the handle R is lifted, the joint 7* is broken and the front end of the arm Q; is raised. This causes the rod T to move towards the foot of the bed in the slots 16 and thus effects a movement of the pawls about their pivots which raises their teeth from the ratchets so that the head rest may be conveniently lowered.

As before stated the head rest and the mechanism for operating it, may be readily applied to beds of various kinds. The hangers N support most of the mechanism and these hangers can be readily bolted or riveted to the bed frame. The pawls are pivotally connected withthe hangers and these pawls are connected with each other by a rod which extends through slots in the operatinglevers. These levers can be readily connected pivotally with theside rails of the bed, and the handles which actuate these levers can be readily connected pivotally with said side rails.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with the side rails of a bed, of a head rest frame pivotally connected therewith, hangers attached to the side rails, a rock shaft supported by the hangers,

ratchets carried by the rock shaft and having forwardly projecting arms, links connecting these arms with the head rest, pawls pivot ally connected with the hangers and engaging the ratchets, rod connecting the pawls on opposite sides of the bed, slotted levers through which the rod extends, and a handle for operating said levers.

2. A head rest for beds adapted to be readily applied to the side rails thereof, comprising hangers detachably carried by said side rails, a rock shaft mounted in said hangers, ratchets attached to the rock shaft, arms extending from said ratchets, links pivotally connected With the arms and with the head rest, paWls carried by said hangers and adapted to engage the ratchets, a rod connecting the pawls, slotted levers through Which said rod extends, and handles piv0tally connected to the slotted levers, both the levers and the handles being pivotally connected to the side rails.

3. A head rest for beds adapted to be readily applied to the side rails thereof, comprising hangers detachably carried by said side rails, a rock shaft mounted in said hangers, ratchets attached to the rock shaft, arms extending from said ratohets, links pivotally connected With the arms and with the head rest, pawls carried by the hangers and adapted to engage the ratchets, and lugs carried by said pawls to limit the movement of the head rest in one direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANK B. BUMGARDNER. 

